God Only Knows (re-upload)
by Sgt. Cheerleader
Summary: Dipper has to leave Gravity Falls. He discusses it with Pacifica beforehand. (I uploaded this story a couple of months ago and didn't bother to check the document type which cut out all of the punctuation for some reason. Hopefully now the story is easier to read. Constructive criticism appreciated!)
Winter was easily the worst thing to happen to Gravity Falls. Never mind the supernatural elements, or the nasty wildlife. The worst part of it was the constant stream of snow that didn't seem to stop at any time of the day. It didn't seem to stop Mabel Pines from enjoying time with her friends, though; seasonal depression was lost on her. Couldn't say the same for her brother; he wasn't too fond of the wind chill, or her random best friend slumber parties that seemed to last until the small hours of the morning, and then some. Poor Dipper was stuck with his sister and her friends who had ingested copious amounts of Smile Dip and were now watching romantic dramas with the volume on full blast, eliminating any possibility of sleep. He needed an escape, and fast. Luckily, he knew just who to call.

"Well, as much as I'd like to stay here and watch The Notebook for the 3rd time in a row, I think I'm gonna go ahead and leave you guys alone." Dipper announced as he stood up. "SHUT UP. YOU'RE RUINING THE EMOTION OF THE MOMENT." Grenda screamed at him, tears welling in her eyes for the umpteenth time that night. "Don't be so cruel, Grenda," Candy replied, equally upset at the film. "He knows not the emotional impact Ryan Gosling has on our tender hearts!" finishing it with a sniff. "Why can't all boys be like him?!" Mabel wondered allowed. "And on that note, I'm out of here." Dipper stepped outside of the twins' bedroom, leaving the girls to their feels.

Taking out his cell phone, he dialed in a number he was starting to memorize and called. It only took a moment to pick up.

"Hey Pax, you still up?"

"Obviously I am, cause I answered the phone. You caught me right as I was about to go to bed, though. I love the Notebook as much as the next girl, but I can't take mom for another second when she watches that movie multiple times."

"OK, seriously, what is it with girls and that movie? Is it on an all day marathon on TLC or something? Plus, the way girls talk about it, you think there's some voodoo, woman-spellbinding magic in it or something."

"What did you call me for, Pines?"

"I need to talk to you."

"...ok, we're talking right now, genius. What's up?"

"Like, face to face."

Pacifica sighed heavily. She really didn't feel like going outside in the snow, but she'd do anything for a friend, especially Dipper. She liked talking to him – whether she'd admit it, or not.

"Alright. I'm on my way over. I need to get out the house anyway."

"Great, see you in a bit."

Clicking her phone to end the conversation, she quickly threw on her winter gear and made the journey downstairs. She loudly announced to her mom that she was leaving, and got no answer. _Probably too immersed in the movie,_ she thought. Stepping into her personal limo, she ordered the driver to the Mystery Shack.

Upon seeing the headlights from Pacifica's limo through the window, Dipper threw on his jacket and his snow boots and finally stepped outside. There was snowfall, but it wasn't intense as it usually was and there was virtually no wind, leaving Gravity Falls at a tolerable level of cold. The blonde heir to the Northwest fortune stepped out and met Dipper on the porch.

"It will never not be surprising to me to see you show up to the Mystery Shack without some elaborate disguise," Dipper said, a smug smirk on his face, which quickly evaporated into a yelp of pain as Pacifica uttered an exasperated "shut up, dork" and punched him in the shoulder.

"So, I'm here. What do you need? The less time we're in the cold, the better."

Grabbing a lantern and lighting it quickly, Dipper stepped off of the porch and started off towards a path in the moonlit forest. "Walk with me."

The two made their way throw the twists and turns in the Oregon wilderness. The moonlight reflected off of the snow, creating very beautiful scenery. The wind decided not to blow tonight, and the two teenagers were grateful for the lack of biting wind chill. They walked for a while without a word, neither sure how to break it or what to bring up first.

"I'm leaving Gravity Falls," Dipper announced, eventually tiring of the silence. Pacifica looked over at the boy, a mix of surprise and concern on her face. "But why? You've been here for so long. Where are you going? Who are you going with?" the blonde replied.

"Mabel and I are leaving in a couple of days. Our parents really miss us and want to see us again. She's hanging out with her friends as a last hurrah, and, well, I don't really have anybody except for you, so that's why I brought you out here, to tell you."

"Wow... I'm... not really sure what to say."

Dipper stopped walking, prompting her to stop as well. He turned to face her.

"Pacifica, I really enjoyed hanging out with you. You were unbearable at first, but you really grew as a person, and now I can call you one of my best friends. I love my sister, I really do, but it gets tiring being with her all of the time, and you were always a breath of fresh air. So... thanks. For always being there for me." Dipper finished, and despite the finicky source of light from the lantern and the moonlight, a blush could be seen on the boy's cheeks. Pacifica was grateful that she wasn't the one holding the lantern, for her cheeks were a significant shade redder than usual. She nervously held her hands together as one half of the Mystery Twins continued talking.

"I'm going to be gone forever, though. I'll try to visit as much as possible."

There was a moment of silence. All you could hear was the small flame of the lantern flickering, and a snow owl hooting somewhere in the forest.

"...so I guess we'll be going back home now. Come on Pax, let's- UGH" Dipper didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as Pacifica suddenly appeared right in front of him, wrapping the boy in a tight hug. Despite his heart racing, he reached an arm around and reciprocated the random display of affection with a hug of his own.

"I'm gonna miss you, you giant dork." Pacifica announced, the side of her head resting on his chest/neck area.

"I think that's the nicest thing you've said to me since 'you're lucky you're not so ugly'."

"Ugh, don't remind me. I was such a bitch back then," Finally pulling away, she straightened out her clothes. "Mom's probably freaking out by now. Let's go home."

"Brilliant idea. Why didn't I think of that? OW!" This time, the heir landed a punch on his other shoulder, echoing her "shut up" statement from earlier.

Finally making it back to the limo/Mystery Shack, Dipper extinguished the lantern and put it back on the porch. Returning to the door where Pacifica was standing at, he put his hands in his pockets. "Well, this is where you go back to your fancy mansion and I get stuck with my sister and her friends and I lose valuable sleep."

"Goodbye, Dipper." She wrapped the boy in another squeeze which Dipper reciprocated again, this time with both arms, rubbing her back reassuringly. They both pulled away and looked at each other, still embracing, their faces inches apart. Mentally panicking, Dipper decided to take a giant risk and leaned his face towards hers, which was met with pleasant surprise when she did the same. Their lips met in a chaste kiss, locking lips together with gentle pecks. Their loving moment was ended by the blonde girl finally pulling away. Dipper opened the door for her and she sat in her seat. Dipper made it back to the steps of the porch before Pacifica lowered her window and called out to him. Not moving from his position, he turned around to face her one more time. "Make sure you call me. Or message me on Facebook. Or text me or something. Stay in touch... okay?" "I will, absolutely. See you Pacifica." He waved goodbye. "Bye for now, ya big dork." Pacifica said with a smirk that rivaled Dipper's previous smugness as she waved goodbye back. The red taillights of the limo signaled the limo's departure, and Dipper finally went back inside the Mystery Shack, happy to be back in warmth.

He took off his jacket and his snow boots when the lights of the lobby turned on suddenly. Dipper turned around to see his sister with a devilish grin on her face. Blushing madly yet again, he grew defensive. "What?" he asked sharply.

"You know what." The mischief was practically dripping from her words as her smile grew somehow even bigger.

"Shouldn't you be upstairs, complaining to your friends about how badly you wished you were Rachel McAdams?"

"They passed out. They couldn't handle the smile dip like a true champion!" She exclaimed, flexing like a bodybuilder.

"OK there. I think I'm gonna copy your friends and go pass out upstairs." Dipper started up the stairs, no intention of entertaining his sister any more than he had too.

"Of course! Mr. Don Juan over here needs his beauty sleep!" she giggled as she followed him.

"I sincerely hope this isn't one of those things you harangue me about on a daily basis."

"Oh come on, Dipper. That's golden material right there! Not teasing you about it would be a crime to siblinghood!"

"Yeah, I know, that's why I said "hope." As in, hoping AGAINST hope."

"She isn't safe either. I'm totally going to harass her about it nonstop until she explodes, confessing her undying love to me in dramatic fashion. Over text, of course."

"God help us all."

Despite the lack of sleep thanks to his sister and her friends, Dipper went to sleep that night with a smile on his face and contentment in his heart.


End file.
